Abstract

Invasive Plant Arundo Donax: Mapping and Prioritizing Its Eradication
Track: Ecology and Conservation
Author(s): Bryan Sesser, Deanne DiPietro, Patricia Stiefer

The invasive plant Arundo donax has become widespread in California. In Southern California some riparian habitat has been reduced to monotypic stands, devastating native species locally. Eradication has been extensive and costly. In Northern California, Arundo infestations are less widespread. However, eradication efforts have been occurring piecemeal as individual organizations fight local infestations. Team Arundo Del Norte is mapping the distribution of Arundo in the San Francisco Bay and Delta Regions and recommending eradication priorities based on the value of the threatened habitat. We began by integrating available mapping data from disparate organizations, field mapping critical gaps, and combining all data into a single GIS layer. To determine eradication priorities, habitat suitability data for a suite of representative riparian species are combined with Federal and State threat indices to derive a multi-species conservation value index. At a given location, this index suggests the eradication priority for any threatening Arundo.

Bryan Sesser
Sonoma Ecology Center
P.O. Box 1486
Eldridge , California 95431
United States
Phone: 707.996.0712
Fax: 707.996.2452
E-mail: bryan@sonomaecologycenter.org

Deanne DiPietro
Sonoma Ecology Center
P.O. box 1486
Eldridge , California 95431
United States
Phone: 707.996.0712
E-mail: deanne@sonomaecologycenter.org

Patricia Stiefer
Sonoma Ecology Center
P.O. box 1486
Eldridge , California 95431
United States
Phone: 707.996.0712
E-mail: pat@sonomaecologycenter.org